Blog Tour of “What’s Past is Prologue” by Ann Galvia, review + giveaway

Dear all,

Today, I am very happy to introduce you to Ann Galvia, a new author who has never been at My Vices and Weaknesses. Ann is bringing her latest novel What’s Past is Prologue, a variation of Pride and Prejudice.I will be reviewing today this novel, so let me introduce you first to the author:

Ann started writing sometime before she knew how letters functioned. Her first books were drawings of circus poodles heavily annotated with scribbles meant to tell a story. Upon learning how letters were combined to represent words, she started doing that instead. This has proven to be much more successful.

Sometime after that, she decided she wanted to study Anthropology and sometime after that, she decided she liked cats more than dogs. And sometime after that, she decided to become an educator and teach a new generation of kids how to combine letters to represent words, and use those words express ideas.

And sometime after that, she realized all she really wanted to do was write, which probably should have been evident from the beginning.

Connect with Ann at the following places Ann: Twitter | Facebook | Blog

Before getting to the dissection of the novel, read the description, I hope you like it.

Elizabeth Darcy has her eye on the future.

Before her marriage, she saw herself making the best possible choice. Her husband saved her family from ruin. All he asked in return was her hand. Secure in his good opinion, Elizabeth married him. Only with hindsight and his cryptic warnings that passion is not immutable does Elizabeth question her decision. Her solution? Give him a son as soon as possible. Once his lust for her has been slaked, this service she has rendered him will ensure her value.

The newlyweds are summoned to Rosings Park almost the moment they are married. Though the estate can boast of beautiful grounds, Elizabeth and Darcy arrive to find devastation. A flood has swept away Lady Catherine’s last hopes of hiding debt and years of mismanagement. She expects Darcy to shoulder the recovery efforts.

The effort to save Rosings strains the already tense relationship between Elizabeth and her husband. To make matters worse, her presence is met with disdain and disinterest from the family. As the days in the besieged estate drag on, Elizabeth slowly untangles the histories and secrets of her new relations.

Like Elizabeth’s marriage, the crisis at Rosings is the culmination of past events. Disaster need not be the result of only bad choices; good principles have led them astray as well. As for Elizabeth, she barely knows her husband, and loving him might be impossible. Yet, she is determined to save all that she can—her marriage and the estate—and somehow, create the future she longs for.

What do you think? A lot of information to digest and I imagine that some questions may have risen as well.

If you want to buy the book, you can do it on the following links:

Amazon US   Amazon UK    Amazon CA

Review

Elizabeth and Darcy never met in Pemberley. It was Jane who met Mr Darcy as it was her who went with the Gardiners. Then a lovely reunion with Mr Bingley and then… Lydia’s elopement that can ruin everything!

However, as we know, Darcy made everything right.

Lizzy gets a marriage proposal, again, in a letter, from Darcy because Mr Bennet is too pushy when he asks him why he did what he did for Lydia.

Lizzy accepts but not because she is in love, but because she feels it is the honourable thing to do after all his struggle. (Not a good beginning)

Newly married, they are summoned to Rosings. Elizabeth is treated poorly by Lady Catherine (as you can imagine). However, Elizabeth is always loyal to her husband and supports him.

Darcy faces a big problem in Rosings: the floods have destroyed harvests, houses, etc. and there is no money to be used. Darcy is trying to help Lady Catherine but she keeps being insolent, pedantic and mean… to the point of wanting to kick Mr Collins from the parish because he is the cousin of Mrs Darcy.

Moreover, the cost to help all the farmers, villagers and so on after the flood is too high and Darcy right now cannot help directly as he has lately had some “unexpected payments” to make. Therefore, Darcy’s uncle sends one of his sons, the brother of Colonel Fitzwilliam, to “check” on what Darcy is doing and to confirm the need for such an amount of money. Let’s say that he is not as nice as his brother although he pretends to be. (I hate one of his comments, the one about getting a wife.)

Anne de Bourgh eventually speaks to Elizabeth, not because she hated her before, because she had not much to say. They become cousins and maybe friends eventually…

Georgiana and Kitty, who is to live with the Darcys, are fast friends and they are very good to each other. This will be helpful for everyone.

From my point of view, Lizzy is a bit annoying, she is only worried about not being attractive enough to Darcy for a long time because right now he is “super-in-love” and wants her a lot, but this may not last, as Darcy told her. (I suppose it was jokingly). Elizabeth is worried because she does not want Darcy to tire of her, to realise that he made “a mistake”. She wants to have his heir and spare because then she may not be seen as “a mistake”. However, SPOILER ALERT…

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she may change her mind as we have a happy ending.

I like Ann’s beginning of the chapters with “the girl”, it is a relevant feature to use and it has a meaning later on.

Blog Tour Schedule

1st of August / Savvy Verse & Wit / Guest Post & Giveaway

2nd of August / Of Pens & Pages / Book Review & Giveaway

3rd of August / Babblings of a Bookworm / Book Review & Giveaway

4th of August / Just Jane 1813 / Book Excerpt & Giveaway

5th of August / Liz’s Reading Life / Author Interview & Giveaway

6th of August / From Pemberley to Milton / Book Review & Giveaway

7th of August / More Agreeably Engaged / Guest Post & Giveaway

8th of August / My Vices and Weaknesses / Book Review & Giveaway

9th of August / Diary of an Eccentric / Book Review & Giveaway

10th of August  / Austenesque Reviews / Book Excerpt & Giveaway

11th of August / Margie’s Must Reads / Book Review & Giveaway

12th of August / My Love for Jane Austen / Book Excerpt & Giveaway

13th of August / So Little Time… / Guest Post & Giveaway

Time to Give Away
Ann is giving away 8 ebooks for eight different winners on this blog tour. It is an international giveaway that you can take part until the midnight of the 18th August 2018.

Just click on the link below and follow instructions. Read the terms and conditions below the link.

Rafflecopter of “What’s Past is Prologue”

Terms and Conditions:

Readers may enter the drawing by tweeting once a day and daily commenting on a blog post or a review that has a giveaway attached for the tour. Entrants must provide the name of the blog where they commented. If an entrant does not do so, that entry will be disqualified. One winner will be selected per contest. Each winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter and the giveaway is international.

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Blog Tour of “The 26th November” by Elizabeth Adams, review + giveaway

Do you like the film Groundhog Day? If by any chance, you do not like it much, it is possible that you will like it when you read this variation of Pride and Prejudice written by Elizabeth Adams: The 26^thof November: A Pride and Prejudice Comedy of Farcical Proportions.

As you may know by now, I dearly love Elizabeth Adams’ books, both period or modern variations. I have read and reviewed almost all her books and I can only recommend them as highly entertaining.

Let me (re)introduced you to Elizabeth Adams, a really good writer and a lovely person.

Elizabeth Adams is a book-loving, tango-dancing, Austen enthusiast. She loves old houses and thinks birthdays should be celebrated with trips – as should most occasions. She can often be found by a sunny window with a cup of hot tea and a book in her hand. 

She writes romantic comedy and comedic drama in both historic and modern settings.

She is the author of The Houseguest, Unwilling, On Equal Ground, and Meryton Vignettes: Tales of Pride and Prejudice, and the modern comedy Green Card. 

You can find more information, short stories, and outtakes at elizabethadamswrites.wordpress.com

What is the book about? Apart from my hint to Groundhog Day, read the blurb below. Enjoy!

The Netherfield Ball: Classic. Predictable. Immortalized.

But, what if Elizabeth were forced to relive it over and over and over again? Night after night after night?

Elizabeth: Clever. Witty. Confident.

Suddenly, her confusion and desperation make her question things she long thought she knew.

Mr. Darcy: Proud. Unapproachable. Bad tempered.

In this world where nothing is as it seems, Elizabeth must learn to see through new eyes.

Including a man she thought she hated. 

Let the hilarity ensue.

What do you think? Does it sound interesting? Believe me, it is interesting, fun and catchy: you will like to read a lot more!

Do you want to buy it? Check it here: Amazon US      Amazon ES

Amazon UK     Amazon CA

Review

The Netherfield Park ball again, and again, and again, and again, until you lose track of how many times you have lived it. In a way, some of us like this ball very much and we have watched it several times in the different film adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, right? However, how would Elizabeth Bennet feel when reliving the ball so many times? As you can imagine, she will take advantage of that and try to make it right.

The first ball that we attend is the “real” one and we get to live also the following day when Jane Bennet receives the “charming” letter from her “friend” Miss Caroline Bingley. Jane is quite sad, and Elizabeth cannot believe that Mr Bingley is not coming back. Do you remember what else happens on the morrowof the ball apart from the letter? (I will leave it for you to remember).

However, the following day is, again, the day of the Netherfield Park ball. Elizabeth cannot believe it but eventually she thinks it may have been a premonition. Although… what happens the following day? Again, the ball…

I have asked you above, how would Elizabeth Bennet feel when reliving the ball so many times? As you can imagine, she will take advantage of the repetition and try to make it right: she tries to curb her younger sisters’ behaviour, she tries to convince Jane to be more forward, Elizabeth also tries to talk to his father, she tries to engage Mary with her appearance and with a better selection of music, she does a lot of things to help Jane with her suitor and she also wants her family not to be loud and indiscreet for her sake and her family’s sake.

What Elizabeth does not expect is to get to know Mr Darcy better, to see him in a different life and to feel they could be friends. A simple question such as: do you believe in premonitions? can make one intelligent person realise her prejudice and her misconstructed first impressions.

I am leaving it here, I cannot tell you more because I truly believe that it is worthy to read this book as it has made me smile a lot, but it is also moving and sweet. The last thing I will say is this: what a beautiful letter!!!

Blog Tour Schedule

Enjoy much more of this book! Do not miss the previous posts.

9th of July / From Pemberley to Milton / Book Review & Giveaway

13th of July / From Pemberley to Milton / Guest Post & Giveaway

19th of July / Of Pens & Pages / Book Review & Giveaway

20th of July / Babblings of a Bookworm / Book Review & Giveaway

21th of July / My Love for Jane Austen / Character Interview & Giveaway

25th of July / More Agreeably Engaged / Book Review & Giveaway

28th of July / Just Jane 1813 / Book Review & Giveaway

2nd of August / Diary of an Eccentric / Book Review & Giveaway

6th of August / Austenesque Reviews / Excerpt Post & Giveaway

8th of August / My Vices and Weaknesses / Book Review & Giveaway

9th of August / Margie’s Must Reads / Book Review & Giveaway

Time to Give Away

Elizabeth Adams is offering:

a) five copies of The 26th of November

b) 5 audiobook codes, each one is good for one of her audiobooks

c) two autographed paperback copies of one of her books, readers’ choice from her catalog

12 different winner may get one of those amazing prizes, to participate, click the link below and follow the instructions. Read the terms and conditions below the link as well. The giveaway runs until midnight, 11th of August, 2018. Good luck!

Rafflecopter – “The 26th November”

Terms and Conditions:

Readers may enter the drawing by tweeting once a day and daily commenting on a blog post or a review that has a giveaway attached for the tour. Entrants must provide the name of the blog where they commented. If an entrant does not do so, that entry will be disqualified. 

One winner per contest. Each winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter and the giveaway is international.

Blog Tour of “The Afterlife of Walter Augustus” by Hannah Lynn, review + giveaway

Hello readers, I am extremely pleased to write about The Afterlife of Walter Augustus by Hannah Lynn.

The afterlife, something that a lot of people tend not to think about… or tend to think about it too much. There are a great number of adjectives that can be given to the idea of afterlife; from negative ones as “gore” or “obscure”, to positive ones such as “heavenly” or “eternal”. However, I am not sure how eternal could be seen as a positive adjective because for me sometimes, as you can read on the cover of the book today presented, you can have an eternal frustration. However, I want to start pointing out that The Afterlife of Walter Augustus cannot be considered as gore or dark, unfortunately it cannot be seen as the positive side of eternal because it ends too quickly! I could not stop reading this book, I had to keep reading but, eventually, there was an end 😦 I would have read 100 pages more if Hannah Lynn would have written them.

As most of you, who follow My Vices and Weaknesses, know, I read a lot of Jane Austen Fan Fiction but there is more! As you all know, there are sooooo many other genres that are intriguing, appealing, enjoyable and catchy. Therefore, I am going to try to read more genres, without forgetting JAFF. Before I get all caught up here… I am mentioning the genres because Walter has a bit of everything. I was checking on some of the posts of this blog tour, as well as in Amazon, what is the genre of this book because I think it has so many! Actually, I was not wrong, I started checking and this book can be considered a “spiritual book”, an “inspirational novel”, even a “rom-com”! To be honest, I find that I do not mind much because it is a great book to read and enjoy.

Before I tell you about Walter, let me introduce you to Hannah Lynn, a lovely person who writes beautifully: her descriptions, her use of words are simply amazing. You can find out just on the first page of the book.

Hannah Lynn was born in 1984 and grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she spent ten years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK and then around
Asia. It was during this time, inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction. Her first novel, Amendments, was published in 2015, her latest novel, The Afterlife of Walter Augustus, is out July 2018. Now as a teacher, writer, wife and mother, she is currently living in the Austrian Alps.

Follow Hannah on:

Twitter Facebook Goodreads

Would you like to buy Walter just because? You can do it here for only 99p or 99 cents during the tour, so you have only two more days!

Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon ES Amazon FR Amazon DE

Review

How would you feel if the only way for you to reach the eternal life or heaven, as some religions call it, is to be forgotten? Exactly, to be erased from every single person’s mind, to be completely and utterly forgotten.

It may sound dramatic but that is exactly what Walter J. Augustus is waiting for for quite a few years now. He simply wants to go to his “final” afterlife and not to live in the interim where he is alone and where he does not feel comfortable. He misses his wife, and his daughters joined her decades ago, he has been following his descendants and soon, everything will finish, will it?

As you may have imagined, no, not yet. Walter has another person who, unexpectedly, has found something related to him, something that will not let him to carry on to his afterlife. Moreover, Walter is joined by his former employer when he was alive, a man of whom Walter is afraid of and who Walter has always found overbearing. Their lives, or afterlives, are linked even if they do not like it and they may need to work together, which is not the most appealing idea for Walter, to find the end. Pemberton was, as I wrote, Walter’s boss and he was a very private man. He was totally bossy and not kind but appearances may not be trustworthy.

Pemberton and Walter are joined by Hector, a well-known person who has been for ages in the interim. Hector takes the lead and has all the ideas to make Letty forget Walter and moreover, destroy the item that keeps Walter and Pemberton in the interim. Letty, the lovely lady that, by a simple coincidence, gets the only object that reminds people of Walter and Pemberton, is ta saleswoman at one of the shops of a famous chain of cheap shoes. She has been working there for a few decades and we could say that her life is quite monotonous and some people may say that it is boring. Although Letty seems a sweet tempered girl, very amiable and you will not want her to be hurt. However, she has a secret, and she does not know how to tell her husband about the half-million pounds she has in her bank accounts. Although, her husband also has a secret. Two secrets that may bring a lot of confusion, mainly “thanks” to the “lovely” Victoria, Letty’s sister. She is just a pain in the neck if you let me write it plainly.

Back to Walter… #walterandletty Their lives are connected (or life and afterlife) and Letty will suffer a lot as spirits can be a bit of a nightmare even if they do not want to be. Walter has been alone in the interim because he chose to isolate himself and, therefore, he is not aware of many things that you can do in the interim as a spirit. He is clung to the past and he lives his afterlife almost the same way, just waiting to leave the interim.

However, Walter needs to learn and fast, with Pemberton and Hector’s help…. Poor Letty! her least concerns will be shoes pairing up together on their own or the smell of pear drops. She will think she is mad, she will resort to the ouija and, let’s say, it does not end up well.

If you have been reading some of my reviews, you know I do not like to give spoilers and this is not an exception but let me give you a few questions to think about:

What if spirits can move objects? What if spirits of our ascendants are there to protect us? What if spirits can invade our subconscious? What if our memories are just stored in boxes? What if love is possible even in the interim and afterlife? What if spirits can make grass stop growing?

Seriously, this is a great book, I have enjoyed it from the beginning to the end: it is funny, it is well-written and it is also moving at the end.
Blog tour

This is the book with more posts in a tour that I have ever been part of and that must mean something 😀

Time to Give Away

What an amazing giveaway Hannah is doing!! A Kindle Paperwhite!! and what I love the most: 5 copies for five winners of “The Afterlife of Walter Augustus” signed by Hannah! I do love signed copies. So, in total six winners can get great prizes.

Just follow the instructions after clicking on the link below:

Rafflecopter – “The Afterlife of Walter Augustus”

Good luck!

Blog Tour of “The Darcy Legacy” by Joana Starnes, review and giveaway.

Dear all,

I am extremely pleased to welcome back, Joana Starnes. One of my favourite JAFF authors, an author who can write so well that it would like to read the unique Jane Austen.

Today, Joana is presenting us: The Darcy Legacy, her latest release. Read the description below about this book:

‘Pemberley’s ancient halls harbour many secrets. Which one will affect Fitzwilliam Darcy and the love of his life? How is Mr Bennet to enjoy the comforts of a well-stocked library, when his wife’s premature demise had left him with the task of finding suitable matches for their daughters? What of a misleading encounter on a muddy lane in Hertfordshire, that renders a country-town assembly rather more tolerable than some might have thought?

Shades of mystery, meddlesome relations – not least a drenched Adonis – raillery, old errors and a very recent union make for a challenging courtship when Fitzwilliam Darcy is not on his own ground. Yet when love is the reward, challenges make it more worth the earning. “A fraught courtship? So, let it be fraught,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said with a nonchalant flourish of his hand. “A good challenge never hurt anyone.”’

Yes, you read it right, Mrs Bennet is dead 😦 You may not be able to enjoy her outburst of happiness when her girls make lovely matches…

I have to say that this descriptions is more intriguing than revealing, it is not easy to be sure of what is going on. I will try to give you a bit more information in my review, but without spoilers 🙂

Let me (re)introduce you to Joana Starnes, a great and awesome novelist.

Joana Starnes lives in the south of England with her family. Over the years, she has swapped several hats – physician, lecturer, clinical data analyst – but feels most comfortable in a bonnet. She has been living in Georgian England for decades in her imagination and plans to continue in that vein till she lays hands on a time machine.

She is the author of eight Austen-inspired novels: From This Day Forward ~ The Darcys of Pemberley, The Subsequent Proposal, The Second Chance, The Falmouth Connection, The Unthinkable Triangle, Miss Darcy’s Companion,Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughterand The Darcy Legacy, and one of the contributing authors to The Darcy Monologues,Dangerous to Knowand the upcoming Rational Creatures (due in October 2018).

To connect with Joana:

Facebook      Website     Facebook – All Roads Lead to Pemberley     Twitter

Review

What would you say to having Lady Anne Darcy and Mr George Darcy as the masters of ceremony in this book? What would you say to a Mr Bennet who, after his wife’s passing, tries to give a better education for his five daughters? What would you say if the afterlife is actually, not that bad? What would you say if Lady Catherine remarries for the sake of Anne? What would you say to a murder at Rosings? What would you say… to me after all these questions?

You may be thinking: what’s wrong with you, Ana?! or, what are you talking about?! I know, I am giving you too many questions to think about and they may seem disconnected and not coherent, but I promise, they have something to do in a way or another with the book.

As usual, I do not know how much you have read about this book when you end up here at My Vices and Weaknesses. That is why, I cannot be free to review without spoilers. You know I do not like to give spoilers away but… I will give you my normal spoiler now

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yes, there is an ending that ends happily, a HEA!

I am going to focus mainly on Elizabeth and Darcy and I will mention a few more characters. Just for you to have into account: I do focus on them because there are few spoilers for me to reveal.

Do you remember the Meryton Assembly in Pride and Prejudice? Forget about it (just for a bit) because Joana has created a funnier and more entertaining assembly where Darcy is not as perfect as he normally is… I do not mean the insult to Elizabeth… that comes before the assembly!!! and what an insult/misunderstanding!!! [If you have watched Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and know what happens to Lizzie at the Meryton Assembly, you can have a mini idea of what could go wrong with Darcy in this one.]

Elizabeth and Darcy are separated for a few months after Darcy’s sudden removal of Hertforshire, where they share lovely time and conversation together. He goes away to Pemberley and London as he thinks he will forget his “infatuation” with a dark-eyed lady from Longbourn. He does not. Due to some events, he ends up at Rosings where the Bennet family can be found. As you may imagine, Lady Catherine is obnoxious as usual and keeps telling Darcy to marry Anne, who, by the way, feels better having so many people to pass the time. Both Darcy and Anne are of the same mind they do not want to marry each other. As you know, Darcy wants Elizabeth but he needs a bit of pushing to get to… declare himself? of make a fool of himself? or have a sunstroke? or… I will leave it there.

Who else must be mentioned? Everyone but I will not bother you with too much information in case you can read between lines…

If you are a reader who normally like Mr Bennet, I bet that you may like him a lot more in The Darcy Legacy, his wit and his sixth sense is well-developed and demonstrates great care of his daughters.

Anne de Bourgh, really nice character, we get to know her a little bit better and we understand a lot about her illness through Joana’s words. Anne is a nice friend to Elizabeth and even when her mother goes against her, Anne defends her as much as she can.

Miss Bingley, although her role and appearance in this book is very brief, I love it, mainly what w read about the last time she is mentioned or appears here. I am sorry for what I am writing next if you like Miss Bingley but, generally speaking, I am extremely happy when something not nice happens to her, or something that she deserves happens to her.

I have mentioned a couple of things on this review that may arise a couple of questions from you… I would love to answer them in the comments, just let me know.

If you cannot wait to know if you are a winner on this giveaway, why not buying The Darcy Legacy now?

Amazon US    Amazon UK     Amazon ES     Amazon CA     Amazon FR

Joana, one question, what happened to the second letter?  😉

Blog Tour Schedule

Really good things to discover about The Darcy Legacy on the different stops of the blog tour:

2nd of July / Austenesque Reviews/Excerpt Post & Giveaway

3rd of July / Diary of an Eccentric/ Guest Post & Giveaway

4th of July / More Agreeably Engaged/ Book Review & Giveaway

5th of July / Of Pens & Pages/ Guest Post & Giveaway

6th of July / So Little Time… So Much to Read/Guest Post & Giveaway

7th of July / My Love for Jane Austen/ Excerpt Post & Giveaway

8th of July / Babblings of a Bookworm/Book Review & Giveaway

9th of July /My Vices and Weaknesses/ Book Review & Giveaway

10th of July / Obsessed with Mr. Darcy/ Book Review & Giveaway

11th of July / Pemberley to Milton/Book Review & Giveaway

12th of July / Just Jane 1813/ Tour Finale & Giveaway

 

Time to Give Away

What a generous giveaway Joana is doing!

• 10 kindle copies of The Darcy Legacy
• 20 audiobook codes (of the audiobooks she already has)
• 1 Amazon gift card of 25 dollars

As you can read, a lot of winners will be chosen through Rafflecopter, just click the link below and follow instructions:

Rafflecopter of “The Darcy Legacy”

The giveaway runs until midnight, 16th of July 2018.

Giveaway of “Amendments” by Hannah Lynn

Check out @HMLynnauthor’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/HMLynnauthor/status/1011133466648432640?s=09

This giveaway celebrates the release of the paperback of “Amendments” and her author is sharing her novel with some lucky winners.

Why not checking and participating on this giveaway?

Here you have the blurb:

Emelia must choose. Her sister or her soulmate.
In a world not dissimilar to our own, the Administration have ensured that the human race should not have to live with any regrets.

Like millions before her, Emelia now has the chance to go back and make the ‘correct’ decisions. The little envelope that contains her amendment will change not just her life, but that of the people she loves the most. Her sister Finola, whose reckless and self-destructive nature have lead her dangerously close to the sinister Marchers movement; and Gabe, the rock that has been holding the remnants of her family together for as long as she can remember.

Caught between saving Finola or happiness with Gabe, she must struggle to predict how the ripples of her amendments will spread.
What would you amend?

What do you think? Intrigued? You should be…

By the way, what’s your answer to Hannah’s last question? What would you amend?

If you want to know more about this author, follow Hannah on:

Goodreads Page

Twitter

Facebook

During the summer, I’m honoured to participate on the blog tour of her newest release: The Afterlife of Walter Augustus. Check it on Goodreads.

Blog Tour of “London Holiday” by Nicole Clarkston: guest post, excerpt + GA

Hello to all,

I am again glad to have Nicole Clarkston with us. The first novel I read by her was about North and South, although I have read other JAFF novels (that I love) by Nicole, today she is presenting us with her latest Pride and Prejudice novel: London Holiday: A Pride and Prejudice Romantic Comedy. Who wants to have one? I mean a holiday in London? 😉 If you were thinking about the novel, yes, you can also try to win one during this blog tour!!

 

Hot air balloons… what about them? Maybe you do not know much about them but they must be significant in this story as one of them appears on the cover of this lovely book!!

Nicole is going to enlighten us with some part of the history of air hot balloons and I hope that you learn something from it, I was not aware of a few of these details.

One of my favorite scenes to write from London Holiday was the hot air balloon ride. It’s no spoiler, since it’s on the cover, but yes, our dear couple enjoy a flight together during their adventures. Today, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the Regency airship.

The first recorded hot air balloon flights were in 1783, conducted by French scientist Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier. This first flight was reportedly piloted by a duck, a sheep, and a cockerel, and flew for fifteen minutes at the end of a 250-foot tether. Within a month, De Rozier and his team had succeeded in the first untethered, manned flight, which covered five and a half miles in twenty minutes and flew to an altitude of 500 feet.

These early flights were powered by burning straw, which eventually caught the balloon on fire. However, the builders were undaunted, and continued to refine their design. Only two years after the first flights, De Rozier attempted to cross the English Channel with a dual system, consisting of one hot air balloon and on hydrogen balloon. Unfortunately, half an hour after take-off, the craft exploded. Both De Rozier and his assistant were killed. However, later that same year, French balloonist Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries succeeded in the historic flight.

The British were not idle during this time. In 1784, Scottish aviator James Tytler flew a hot air balloon over Edinburgh. Shortly after this, it was an Italian diplomat named Vincenzo Lunardi who achieved the first flights over English soil. Launching a hydrogen balloon from London, he landed it safely in Hertfordshire with a dog, a cat, and a caged pigeon aboard.

In 1793, Americans got their first glimpse of a hot air balloon. Blanchard flew from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Gloucester County, New Jersey. Among the witnesses was George Washington.

Shortly after this, the hot air balloon entered the history of Vauxhall Gardens. The first regular flights began in 1802, as an additional attraction to entice guests. One of the more startling displays of aeronautics and pyrotechnics involved an unmanned balloon, a long fuse, and explosives. The fireworks shot off first, then the balloon itself was enveloped in a glorious fireball. The display was reportedly seen all over London and was a terrific promotional stunt for Vauxhall Gardens.

Although hot air balloons had their limitations as tourist draws—they could only fly in good weather with no wind–they remained a popular feature at Vauxhall until the Gardens closed in 1859. In fact, Vauxhall’s famous airship has its own claim to fame. Charles Green, already a balloon record holder, had taken over as the chief balloon operator for Vauxhall Gardens. He was known for experimenting with coal gas, as a safer and less expensive alternative to other fuels. He built the Royal Vauxhall Balloon for park owners in 1836, then purchased it back from them shortly after this.

That same November, Green set a record with the Royal Vauxhall by launching from Vauxhall Gardens and landing in Nassau, Germany the next morning. The balloon travelled approximately five hundred miles in eighteen hours and was rechristened The Great Nassau in honour of this achievement. Green and his Great Nassau would go on to set more records, and their names will forever be linked with Vauxhall Gardens.

Elizabeth and Darcy would not have flown on this Great Nassau in 1811, but balloons were certainly there, and already instilled in the popular culture. I hope you have enjoyed this brief history of our earliest flying machines! Now, treat yourself to a glimpse of the hot air balloon through Elizabeth’s eyes.

References: Clark, Liesl. “A Short History of Ballooning.” Nova, www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/short-history-of-ballooning.html – “History of Ballooning.” Virgin Air, www.virginballoonflights.co.uk/history-of-ballooning/ – “A Brief History of Vauxhall Gardens.” Vauxhall Gardens, www.vauxhallgardens.com/vauxhall_gardens_briefhistory_page.html

As Nicole has written… enjoy Elizabeth’s experience of a hot air balloon (excerpt from chapter 24).

They had some little difficulty in persuading the balloon master to an early departure. “First flight of the evening is at seven,” he had stated unequivocally. Until, of course, William had brandished several shining coins. These disappeared rapidly, and the man opened the gate to the basket.

It took only a few moments for the coal fire to be stoked to its proper heat, for the warming had already commenced some while before their arrival so the balloon’s impressive silk display could advertise the attraction all over the Gardens. When the man gave the signal for them to board, Elizabeth accepted William’s hand into the basket, then clasped the wooden railing. The little gate closed, bags of sand were hefted over the side, and the floor beneath her feet moved.

They had already agreed that from above, two passengers in a balloon were not terribly conspicuous. Anyone noticing their ascent would only be able to see them for a few moments before the greater height obscured their faces and granted a view only of the bottom of the basket. Those below, however, would be far easier to see. As a precaution in the early moments of their flight, William had arranged to stand behind her at the railing to conceal himself, but soon enough he should have the liberty to move about.

Elizabeth’s heart was thumping wildly. Two feet from the ground… three… six! She had not accounted for the rapidity of their ascent, nor had she considered how terribly unstable the floor would seem. Each shot of heat from the coal furnace, each jostle of passenger weight, served to rock the basket more than she had been prepared for. Her fingers tightened on the rail.

William was already craning his head about, searching at each change in elevation for whatever new angles of vantage the balloon could offer. “There, Burk and Johnson. And there is Turner. Two more there,” she heard him counting. “Blast. Two by the Kennington Lane entrance. I suppose all the gates are being watched.”

She closed her eyes and prayed for courage. She would look at the ground, she would! She swallowed, gulped a hasty breath of air, and tried to lean forward.

The figures below her swam into one dizzying blur. Her breath was coming in short, airless gasps now, and she felt herself growing faint. Oh, why had she thought she could manage this? She had enough trouble on fishing boats and horses! Wherever she could see the plane below her feet and feel movement that did not connect her to the ground, she had always felt ill. Carriages were little enough bother, for they were large, possessed a stable frame all around, and she could see only the horizon. That motion she had grown accustomed to, but this… this was beyond her!

“One by the orchestra,” William continued. “And the South pavilion… Miss Elizabeth, are your eyes sharper than mine? Is the light playing tricks on me, or is that another just there, near the first arch?”

He stepped to her right, leaning far over the edge of the basket, and the floor swayed with a sickening dip. “Miss Elizabeth, can you… Miss Elizabeth?”

The genuine concern in his voice was lost to her, for she could already taste the bitter tang in her mouth. In another half moment she was likely to mortify herself beyond hope of recovery, and if she tried to respond to him, she had not a prayer that she might be able to check the rebellion in her head and stomach.

“Miss Elizabeth, you are ill! We must set down immediately,” he called to the pilot.

She tried to shake her head, but she dared not. “No,” she managed thickly. “Still the north side!”

“Miss Elizabeth, we will find another way. I will not have you so distressed. Here, now, can you take a deep breath without difficulty?”

She clenched her eyes tightly closed and tried, but a gentle gust of evening air unsettled the basket. The breath she had tried to draw slowly came as an inward shriek and then was expelled just as rapidly in a cry of helpless alarm.

“Set us down at once!” William demanded again of the balloon pilot. “Can you not see, man? The lady is unwell!”

“I’m trying to, sir, but there’s a decent wind about just now. It will take some doing—ten minutes to the ground, at least. It will go faster if you help me to wind the rope.”

“Then allow me,” she heard him retort.

At once a stalwart strength left her, and she began to quake. She had not even realised that she had been leaning against his arm, and now bereft of that support, a new panic rose in her breast. No longer was she afraid of physical illness, but a mortal terror overtook her. She trembled from head to foot, and a series of frantic moans, wails, and sobs shook her.

“Miss Elizabeth!” William cried from half the world away, “You are only rocking the basket more. You make it far worse than it must be!”

She could not attend, however much she wished to. The music rising from the ground, so many fathoms below, told off the great measure of her fall, and nothing else could enter her mind. She knew she was shaking, desperately jerking herself about with her helpless spasms, but no force save the grounding security of firm earth could recall her.

“Miss Elizabeth!” William’s voice was near now, just at her ear, and she felt him pulling her hands from the railing. “Please, you must hear me. Can you listen? Squeeze my hand if you can.”

She could not. His presence was comforting—at least she would have someone else’s hand to hold as she plummeted to her death over the side, if it came to that—but she was no more in command of herself than she had been a moment earlier. She clung more tightly to the rail.

And I am so mean to leave you hanging there! My humblest apologies. -NC

If you are a bit mad at Nicole for leaving us hanging after reading this scene, you can find her and tell her off on:

Website        Goodreads Author Page       Goodreads Blog         Facebook

Amazon Author Page         Twitter

Let me (re)introduce you to Nicole Clarkston, author of among other books: The Courtship of Edward Gardiner , Northern Rain and These Dreams.

Nicole Clarkston is a book lover and a happily married mom of three. Originally from Idaho, she now lives in Oregon with her own romantic hero, several horses, and one very fat dog. She has loved crafting alternate stories and sequels since she was a child watching Disney’s Robin Hood, and she is never found sitting quietly without a book of some sort.

Nicole discovered Jane Austen rather by guilt in her early thirties―how does any book worm really live that long without a little P&P? She has never looked back. A year or so later, during a major house renovation project, she discovered Elizabeth Gaskell and fell completely in love. Her need for more time with these characters led her to simultaneously write Rumours & Recklessness, a P&P inspired novel, and No Such Thing as Luck, a N&S inspired novel. The success she had with her first attempt at writing led her to write four other novels that are her pitiful homage to two authors who have so deeply inspired her.

Nicole contributes to Austenvariations.com, a group of talented authors in the Jane Austen Fiction genre. In addition to her work with the Austen Variations blog, Nicole can be reached through all the links below the biography.

Would you like to buy the book before trying the giveaway? Here you can do it:

Amazon US         Amazon UK       Amazon ES        Amazon CA   

Tour schedule

Great posts that we have had so far on this book tour and I am sure that the rest are going to be as good 🙂 Check them to know more about this story.

7th June   So little time… – Guest Post, Excerpt, GA

8th June   Diary of an Eccentric – Guest Post, Excerpt, GA

9th June   Just Jane 1813 – Review, GA

10th June My life journey – Review, GA

11th June From Pemberley to Milton – Vignette, GA

12th June My Jane Austen Book Club – Guest Post, Excerpt, GA

13th June Half Agony, Half Hope – Review, Excerpt, GA

15th June Austenesque Reviews – Guest Post, Excerpt, GA

16th June My Love for Jane Austen – Vignette, GA

18th June Obsessed with Mr. Darcy – Review, GA

19th June My Vices and Weaknesses – Guest Post, Excerpt, GA

20th June A Covent Garden Gilflurt’s Guide to Life – Guest Post

Time to Give Away

8 ebooks! Nicole is giving away 8 ebooks of London Holiday to 8 different winners. Moreover, the giveaway is open internationally. You just have to click the link below to participate, just follow what Rafflecopter asks you to do. Please read the terms and conditions below the picture in case you are not sure how to get extra entries.

Rafflecopter – London Holiday

Terms and Conditions:

Readers may enter the drawing by tweeting once a day and daily commenting on a blog post or review that has a giveaway attached for the tour. Entrants must provide the name of the blog where they commented. Remember: Tweet and comment once daily to earn extra entries. A winner may win ONLY 1 (ONE) eBook of London Holiday by Nicole Clarkston. Each winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter and the giveaway is international.

Blog Tour of “Catherine” by Sue Barr, review + giveaway

A year and a bit later, after she introduced us to her Caroline, I am delighted to have again Sue Barr in My Vices and Weaknesses, her last release “Catherine” may impress you or maybe not, however, it would not leave you indifferent.

Before I knew anything about this book, I read the title and what may have come to my mind? Yes, maybe you thought of “the magnanimous and excellent” Lady Catherine de Bourgh (please read this with Mr Collins (1995) voice in mind) 😉

However, in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, we have another Catherine that sometimes is overlooked… Catherine Bennet, that is, Kitty. I have to admit that I really enjoy reading about the other sisters and I normally love the books where they are the protagonists. Nonetheless, it may be interesting to read as well about Lady Catherine, perhaps when she was younger, before marrying or when Anne was little… Sue and authors… just saying (wink wink).

As usual, I am losing the track of what this post is about: Catherine, yes, Bennet. Before reviewing the book, I would let you read the description of this book…

Some secrets are not meant to be shared.
Catherine Bennet, known as Kitty to close friends and family, knows this better than anyone. She also knows that she will never marry, and it never bothered her before she met Lord George Kerr at Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding. He’s determined to breach the walls of defense she’d carefully constructed around her heart, and she’s just as determined to stay the course.
Some secrets cannot be shared
Lord George Kerr knows this better than anyone. For five years, as a spy for His Majesty the King, he played the part of a Rake, concealing his espionage activities beneath a blanket of brothels, drink and loose women. Even though he’s forced to resume his regular life within London’s finest society, he still must keep some things hidden.
One thing he does not hide is his attraction to Miss Catherine Bennet of Longbourn. Enraptured by her beauty and warmth of character, he plunges headlong into winning her heart, only to find it carefully guarded and she’s unwilling to give him even a small pinch of hope.
Some things are beyond your control
When circumstances bring Kitty’s secret into the open, she fears the tenuous bonds of friendship she’s forged with Lord George will be lost forever along with whatever love he proclaims to have for her. With the very lives of England’s vast network of spies working undercover in Bonaparte’s France hanging in the balance, she’s forced to face her worst nightmare.
Her secret is laid bare, can he love her enough to overcome what he learns?

Secrets? What are you talking about? What secret(s) may Kitty have? Who is this Lord George? Why Kitty will never marry?

If you are a bit puzzled, the guilty one is the author, Sue Barr, let me (re)introduce her:

Sue Barr resides in beautiful Southwestern Ontario with her retired Air Force hubby, two sons and their families. She’s also an indentured servant to three cats and has been known to rescue a kitten or two, or three…in an attempt to keep her ‘cat-lady-in-training’ status current. Although, she has deviated from appointed path and rescued a few dogs as well. Sue is a member of Romance Writers of America and their affiliate chapter, Love, Hope and Faith as well as American Christian Fiction Writers.

http://www.suebarrauthor.com

From there you can follow her on Facebook or Twitter or hop on over to her blog and find out how boring her life really is…. While there, don’t forget to sign up for her announcement only newsletter. No spam. Pinky promise.

If you prefer to go directly to some of her social media, here you have the links:

Facebook       Twitter       Goodreads         Pinterest        Sue Barr’s Blog

 

Before reviewing, I want to point out that Catherine can be read on its own, as a stand-alone book, however, there may be a couple of things when Caroline Bingley appears that you may not be sure about or you may be intrigued. That is because that Caroline is the protagonist of Sue Barr’s Caroline and they are related. I recommend you to read both books but you do not have to. However, I recommend it again 😉

Review

Kitty Bennet, normally known for following Lydia and her crazy behaviour, she may not be one of the favourite sisters, her cough is annoying and she is always arguing because Lydia “steals” her ribbons… 😉 To be honest, she has a lot of potential and Sue Barr has found it.

The main change (that I can write about) from the original book, is that the wedding of Jane and Charles+Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth takes place in Pemberley instead of Longbourn. During that event, a lot of pople from the higher circles attend the wedding and it is there, that the Bennet family is introduced to the Kerr family. Specially, we will focus on Lord George Kerr and his short chat with Miss Catherine Bennet.

Nothing really happens during that chat, just a nice chat with some witty comments. Yes, witty, Kitty is lively and witty, she is more similar to Lizzy than to Lydia. She has a mind of her own, mainly after what happened to her…

Lord George has to finish his life as a spy due to an event with one of his colleagues who is also a cover for his “rake” life. After this event, he has to go back to a “boring and conventional” gentleman-like life but his instincts do not let him stop getting to know the truth about the event at his friend’s house and how his cover was compromised.

He has a couple of hints to where to start investigating, so on his way to Cambridgeshire, he has an accident with his horse due to a person being in the middle of the road, that person being more scared falls down in a ditch and hurts herself. Lord George quickly attends that woman who happens to be Catherine Bennet. He is surprised, happily surprised, and he takes her to her home as she is injured.

From there, Mrs Bennet is sure that he will propose as he has also promised to take Catherine and Mary to London as she was going to go shortly after the accident. However, you must remember that Catherine has said that she will not marry.

Once in London, they meet several times as Lord George feels that it is his duty to show her around and accompany her as he “almost kill her” according to Mrs Bennet.

Let’s face it, he is very intrigued by her, he has been thinking about her from their first conversation until he saw her again. He is fascinated by her and she likes him but she is taming her heart as she will not marry anyone.

Lovely scenes with the couple but the best one at the beginning of their stay in London is the one where Catherine recognises Lady Harriet, a friend who she has not seen for ten years. The interesting part is when Lady Harriet flies away when she is recognise by her friend as now, Lady Harriet is the companion to Lord George’s friend… interesting.

Interesting because everything is related to the event who caused George to stop working for the crown and his trip to Cambridgeshire… and also, all the people involved are related to the reason why Catherine does not want to marry anyone. Confused? It will be very easy once you read the book.

Tour Schedule

Follow the tour, previous stops and the ones to come, you are going to find really good things 🙂

28th May /My Jane Austen Book Club/ Launch Post & Giveaway 

29th May /From Pemberley to Milton/ Excerpt Post & Giveaway

30th May /Just Jane 1813/ Guest Post & Giveaway

31st May /More Agreeably Engaged/Author Spotlight & Giveaway

1st June /  So Little Time…/ Excerpt Post & Giveaway

2nd June / Liz’s Reading Life/ Book Review & Giveaway 

4th June / Diary of an Eccentric/Book Review & Giveaway

5th June /My Vices and Weaknesses/ Book Review & Giveaway

6th June /Savvy Verse & Wit/ Guest Post & Giveaway 

7th June /Margie’s Must Reads/Book Review Post & Giveaway

8th June /  Obsessed with Mr. Darcy/ Book Review & Giveaway

9th June /My Love for Jane Austen/ Excerpt Post & Giveaway 

10th June /  Babblings of a Bookworm/Excerpt Post & Giveaway 

11th June /  Austenesque Reviews/ Guest Post & Giveaway

Giveaway

Apart from showing us her latest release, Sue is presenting us with a great giveaway.We can have up to six different winner on this blog tour! Three winners will receive a copy of Catherine. Two winners will receive eBooks and one winner will receive an autographed paperback book of Catherine. All giveaways are open to international winners. Click on the link below and read the Terms and Conditions as well:

Rafflecopter – Catherine by Sue Barr

Terms and conditions:

Readers may enter the drawing by tweeting once each day and by commenting daily on a blog post or review that has a giveaway attached to this tour. Entrants must provide the name of the blog where they commented. Each winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter and the giveaway is international. Each entrant is eligible to win one eBook or paperback book.